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EDWARD lA. ALPRESS, 0F BRISTOL CONNECTICUT.

Letters Patent No. 72,712, dated December 3l, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-GRIPING TOOL.

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TO ALL WI'IOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Bc it known that I, EDWARD A. ALPRESS, of Bristol, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongs, Pincel-s, or, more properly speaking, Hand-Griping Tools, for holding articles while being wrought upon by the artiticer; and to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe by referring to the drawings, in which the same letters indi cate like parts in each of the gures.

The nature of this invention consists in making each handle and its respective jaw in two distinct pieces of inetal.

The nature of this invention further consists iu connecting the two handles together, with the jaws arranged and secured relatively thereto, so that, by opening and closing -the handles, the jaws will thereby be actuated to open and close parallel with each other.

In the use of this class of tools heretofore, the workmen have been greatly annoyed by the work or article (being held thereby) swaying or turning in the jaws out of a truc line or position, in which he is desirous to hold it firmly, in order that he may perform the desired labor thereon. To prevent this annoyance, and produce agood efficient tool, is the object of this invention. In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a plan view of this improvement, showing how these tools are constructed, so that the jawswill close in parallel lines upon the article to be wrought upon, and thus hold it firmly in a true line or position, as described. v

a and a are handles, fitted together much in the form ofthe common pliers, and secured together by a fulcrumpin, e.l The outer ends are nearly-of a true circle from the centre ofthe fulerum-pin holes, by which they are secured to the jaws. The outer ends of said handles are litted into recesses in the jaws, milled out or'otherwise prepared therefor, so as to form a goed' joint, and bring the handles and jaws flush with each other. and IJ are thel jaws, the outer ends of'which are much like those of the common pliers. The jaw is depressed ou each side thereot` to receive the split end of the handle a. The jaw b is provided with a socket to receive the outer end of the handle a. These jaws are secured to the outer ends of thc handles by pins c. The handles a and a are also provided with sockets z', or their equivalents, `just back from the fulcrum-pin a', in which the rear end d of the jawsand operate, so that, as the handles open or close, the jaws will bc actuated thereby to open or close in parallel lines, and so that, if a round or ilat piece of metal be placed between the jaws, it will be griped and held rmly in anydesircd position.

I am aware thatA the same result can be produced when the tool is constructed of diierent sizes, forni, or shape,'therefore I do not wish to be restricted to this particularform of construction.

I believe I have thus shown the nature, construction, and advantage of this invention so as to enable others skilled to make the saine therefrom. l

I amA aware of the patent of C. W. Sikes for improvement in pliers. I do not intend to claim his mode of construction; but

What I claim, isf

As a new improvedarticle of manufacture, tongs orpliers, the handles a pivoted together at a their outer ends pivoted to the jaw c c, while the rear ends d dief saidjaws work in sockets z' z', to produce the opening and closing of saidjaws parallel to each other, substantially as described.

EDWARD A. ALPRESS. [L 5.]

Witnesses z ERNEST C. SMITH, JEREMY W. Buss. 

